First things first: People experiencing homelessness are not lazy. They are among the most resilient and creative people you’ll ever meet, according to Meghan Mueller, the new executive director of Oklahoma City’s Homeless Alliance. Mueller has been at her post since early April, after working for the agency in a variety of positions for a decade.

This woman is terrific at shifting paradigms and offering fresh perspective. Think about it. “These people — who are moms, dads, sisters or brothers — wake up every day and choose to survive,” Mueller says, while also admitting that she’s not sure she could mentally survive the duress of homelessness. “They may walk miles for a meal, through whatever weather Oklahoma decides to throw their way that day. If I need a snack, I walk 10 feet to the refrigerator.” They find places to sleep, drinking water, ways to bathe and cope with mental struggles — the traumas that caused their homelessness as well as the isolation so many unhoused people experience. “If they can do all of that, they can do anything,” she says.

And another thing. Instead of asking people what they did to become homeless, Mueller would prefer we ask what happened to them to cause their homelessness. “Our culture has the desire to ‘other’ the problem. There’s so much power in a simple paradigm shift. I think about what it would take for my mom to end up needing our services, or for me to. The answer is trauma.”

The Homeless Alliance, founded 20 years ago by Mueller’s predecessor and mentor Dan Straughn, is dedicated to the idea that it’s possible to end homelessness in Oklahoma City. The agency’s origin story is the embodiment of that famous Margaret Mead quote: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. In fact, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Straughn and a handful of businesspeople were meeting at the legendary Lunch Box restaurant, which occupied a prime downtown spot near Hudson and Sheridan for decades. The group noticed people walking by who looked like they might be homeless. “Someone in the group said something like, ‘There has to be a better way do homeless services than the way we’re doing it.’ So they formed a committee and visited other cities to see what Oklahoma City might be able to do better,” Mueller says. The rest is history. As an homage to its founding, the Homeless Alliance proudly displays the refurbished Lunch Box sign over the lunch line at its day shelter.

Mueller joined the team 10 years later. “I started as an intern. It was my final practicum,” she says, as she’d almost completed her master’s degree in social work. “I went to OU for both undergrad and grad school. I grew up in central Oklahoma and went to Deer Creek schools all the way through.”

That internship changed the trajectory of her life. “I didn’t set out to work in homeless services, but once I got here, I was totally hooked.” Part of that she quickly attributes to the culture of the organization, set by Straughn. “I had the hare-brained idea, as an intern, to have an art show,” she says. She imagined opening an ‘art studio’ where people could create art, and then hosting a galley opening for them. “As a student, I thought about the therapeutic value that art can bring to life.” She also liked the idea of the new identity that came with the project. “There are all kinds of labels, and all kinds of assumptions that people make about people who are experiencing homelessness. And I loved that this program had the power to transform that and to transform someone into an artist. I went to Dan and asked him to hear me out. He said, ‘Sure, try it.’” She did, and the program, called Fresh stART, is still going strong, with several art shows each year.

The culture of innovation and collaboration established and nurtured by Straughn is something Mueller cherishes and fosters. “Dan leads with empathy. The culture he created here was a big part of why I stayed.” When Mueller began work at the Homeless Alliance, she was its 15th employee. Today there are 160 most of the year and 180 or so in the winter, when additional shelters are open. Ten years ago there were three case workers offering direct service; today there are 60. “We knew we needed to walk the walk, not just talk the talk,” Mueller says, so the agency dipped its toes into offering direct services. “Turns out we’re really good at it.”

Social entrepreneurial enterprises came next. Homeless Alliance produces and sells its award-winning magazine, the Curbside Chronicle, created to provide both a voice and employment opportunities for people who are experiencing and/or at risk of homelessness. In addition to providing a source of income, the Curbside Chronicle works with vendors to break down barriers to traditional employment and develop time management, money management and social skills. Street papers like the Curbside Chronicle enable people to earn enough money to get into housing and end their homelessness.

Curbside Flowers is a traditional flower shop providing supportive employment to people adjusting out of homelessness. Patrons can walk in and buy flowers, order them for delivery or work with the shop to create centerpieces for special events.

Sasquatch Shaved Ice is a nonprofit snow cone stand (with several locations) that offers youth — including those who are low-income, foster, or justice-involved — with a supportive employment opportunity designed to help build job skills, improve financial literacy, increase high school graduation and higher education enrollment and provide a foundation for long-term financial stability and job readiness. 

The newest endeavor, Curbside Apparel, is a screen-printing company that produces custom shirts, posters and more. People working at the apparel shop earn a screen-printing certification and practice skills like inventory management as they move out of homelessness. ​

As Mueller settles into her new role, she’s focused on preserving the terrific, collaborative, innovative culture of Homeless Alliance while exploring new ideas. One of those is the concept of diversion. “Diversion is an effort to divert people from ever entering the system and needing our services,” she says. Seemingly tiny adjustments are often all that’s needed to keep someone from becoming homeless. “It could be a month’s rent, or it could be that someone just got a job that requires steel-toed boots, but they can’t afford them. It’s critical thinking and problem solving,” she says. 

In a job like hers, in a field like homeless services, the work can be hard, and the stress can take a toll. Sometimes even the brilliantly optimistic Mueller feels defeated, exhausted and discouraged. When that happens, she looks for perspective. Or she goes for a run and gives herself a pep talk. “I remind myself that I can do hard things,” she says.

When asked what she’d like to suggest other people do to help, she doesn’t lead with donating or volunteering, although she welcomes both. Instead, she says this: “People ask me that question more than any question. I always say — it’s so simple and so cheesy — but, like, be a nice person. People who are experiencing homelessness are so used to being ignored. They’re so used to people seeing them and moving to the other side of the sidewalk or pretending that they’re not there. So I think one of the most powerful things you can do is acknowledge that person. It’s so simple, but literally just a wave and saying hi, I acknowledge that you’re there and that you’re a human being with value and worth.”

Do also feel free to donate. Or volunteer. You can learn more at homelessalliance.org.